1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of processing a silver halide color photographic material (hereunder referred to as a photographic material), and more particularly, to a stabilizing process that involves no step of washing with water subsequent to a desilvering step.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Photofinishers capable of automatic and continuous development of photographic materials are in current use. However, in order to prevent water pollution while at the same time saving valuable water resources, it is desired to reduce or eliminate the use of water in the washing step that follows the treatment with a fixing solution or a bleach-fixing solution. Therefore, several methods have been proposed for stabilizing the fixed or bleach-fixed photographic material without washing it with water. Japanese Patent Applications (OPI) Nos. 8542/82, 132146/82, 14834/82 and 18631/83 (the symbol OPI as used herein means an unexamined published Japanese patent application) show the use of stabilizing solutions containing isothiazoline derivatives, benzisothiazoline derivatives, polyaminocarboxylic acid soluble iron complex salts or organophosphonic acids.
However, these techniques are not highly effective in preventing the deterioration of an image, especially an increased yellow stain in the uncolored area, due to the fixing or bleach-fixing component that is carried over into the stabilizing solution by the photographic material in an amount that increases as the image storage time is extended. In particular, if an organic acid iron (III) complex salt used as a bleaching agent is left in the stabilizing solution, the dye image may be sufficiently protected from discoloration but is subject to appreciable yellow staining. This is particularly true if a relatively small amount of make-up stabilizer is used. Furthermore, the increase in the fixing component and the soluble silver complex salt in the stabilizing solution has been found to decrease the light stability of a cyan dye (i.e. the resistance to light discoloration).